Prevalence and antimicrobial sensitivity of Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli among underfives presenting with diarrhoea at hospitals in Mwanza City, Tanzania

Background: Escherichia coli is among the most common causes of diarrhoea in children below five years of age in developing countries. Diarrhoeal diseases rank the second most common cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Here we report the magnitude of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection among underfives with diarrhoea in Mwanza, Tanzania.Methods: This study was carried out at Nyamagana and Sekou Toure hospitals in Mwanza, Tanzania. Between July, 2015 and March, 2016, children aged < 5 years with diarrhoea were included in the study. Demographics and relevant information were recorded. Stool specimens were cultured onto MacConkey and Salmonella-Shigella Agars. CHROMagar STEC was used to identify STEC. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed to all pathogenic bacteria using disc diffusion method.Results: A total of 304 children were include in the study. The mean (±standard deviation) age of the enrolled children was 1.4 (±1.03) years. Out of 304 diarrhoea cases, 32 (10.5%) were positive for STEC and 12 (3.9%) were due to other pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella and Shigella species.). Of 32 STEC isolates, 22 (68.8%) and 20 (62.5%) were resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole respectively and 3 (9.4%) were found to produce extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL). Use of water from wells (p=0.006) was found to be the predictor of the presence of pathogenic bacteria.Conclusion: Clinicians should consider STEC as the potential pathogens causing diarrhoea in the region. More than 60% of pathogenic bacteria were resistant to commonly prescribed antimicrobials like amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. There is a need to emphasize on the provision of safe water, health education together with improvements in sanitation and personal hygiene as key strategies to reduce these infections

Electron-Impact Ionization of Be-like C III, N IV, and O V

We present recent measurements of absolute electron-impact ionization cross sections for Be-like C III, N IV, and O V forming Li-like C IV, N V, and O VI. The measurements were taken using the crossed-beams apparatus at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A gas cell beam attenuation method was used to independently measure the metastable fractions present in the ion beams. The measured ionization cross sections were compared with calculations using the R-matrix with pseudostates and distorted-wave theoretical methods. Best agreement is found with the R-matrix with pseudostates cross sections results that account for the metastable fractions inferred from the gas attenuation measurements. We present a set of recommended rate coefficients for electron-impact single ionization from the ground state and metastable term of each ion

Multi-locational evaluation of cooking banana cultivars ‘NARITA 4’ hybrid and ‘Mpologoma’ in Rwanda

This study assessed the growth and yield of two introduced cooking banana cultivars ‘Mpologoma’ and ‘NARITA 4’ relative to seven local highland cooking cultivars, across three sites in Rwanda, namely Karongi (1496 m a.s.l.), Gatore (1523 m a.s.l.) and Rwinzuki (1671 m a.s.l.). Data were obtained during two cropping cycles (plant crop cycle and the 1st ratoon). Data on pseudostem girth (cm) at 100 cm above the ground was collected at flowering, while number of hands per bunch, number of fingers of the second lowest hand and bunch weight (kg) were obtained at bunch harvest. Significant differences for all assessed growth and yield parameters were observed between cultivars (p<0.001). Generally, the two exotic cultivars ranked high with respect to number of fingers on the second lowest hand and number of hands per bunch. ‘Mpologoma’ had the largest bunch with a mean bunch weight of 23 kg, whereas ‘NARITA 4’ had a bunch weight of 17 kg which was comparable to the local cultivars. Thus, these 2 cultivars could potentially be adopted by farmers

Computer-based technology and student engagement: a critical review of the literature

Computer-based technology has infiltrated many aspects of life and industry, yet there is little understanding of how it can be used to promote student engagement, a concept receiving strong attention in higher education due to its association with a number of positive academic outcomes. The purpose of this article is to present a critical review of the literature from the past 5 years related to how web-conferencing software, blogs, wikis, social networking sites (Facebook and Twitter), and digital games influence student engagement. We prefaced the findings with a substantive overview of student engagement definitions and indicators, which revealed three types of engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive) that informed how we classified articles. Our findings suggest that digital games provide the most far-reaching influence across different types of student engagement, followed by web-conferencing and Facebook. Findings regarding wikis, blogs, and Twitter are less conclusive and significantly limited in number of studies conducted within the past 5 years. Overall, the findings provide preliminary support that computer-based technology influences student engagement, however, additional research is needed to confirm and build on these findings. We conclude the article by providing a list of recommendations for practice, with the intent of increasing understanding of how computer-based technology may be purposefully implemented to achieve the greatest gains in student engagement. © 2017, The Author(s)

Parental Burnout Around the Globe: a 42-Country Study

High levels of stress in the parenting domain can lead to parental burnout, a condition that has severe consequences for both parents and children. It is not yet clear, however, whether parental burnout varies by culture, and if so, why it might do so. In this study, we examined the prevalence of parental burnout in 42 countries (17,409 parents; 71% mothers; M_{age} = 39.20) and showed that the prevalence of parental burnout varies dramatically across countries. Analyses of cultural values revealed that individualistic cultures, in particular, displayed a noticeably higher prevalence and mean level of parental burnout. Indeed, individualism plays a larger role in parental burnout than either economic inequalities across countries, or any other individual and family characteristic examined so far, including the number and age of children and the number of hours spent with them. These results suggest that cultural values in Western countries may put parents under heightened levels of stress

Spatial distribution and risk factors of Schistosoma haematobium and hookworm infections among schoolchildren in Kwale, Kenya

Background: Large-scale schistosomiasis control programs are implemented in regions with diverse social and economic environments. A key epidemiological feature of schistosomiasis is its small-scale heterogeneity. Locally profiling disease dynamics including risk factors associated with its transmission is essential for designing appropriate control programs. To determine spatial distribution of schistosomiasis and its drivers, we examined schoolchildren in Kwale, Kenya. Methodology/Principal findings: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 368 schoolchildren from six primary schools. Soil-transmitted helminths and Schistosoma mansoni eggs in stool were evaluated by the Kato-Katz method. We measured the intensity of Schistosoma haematobium infection by urine filtration. The geometrical mean intensity of S. haematobium was 3.1 eggs/10 ml urine (school range, 1.4?9.2). The hookworm geometric mean intensity was 3.2 eggs/g feces (school range, 0?17.4). Heterogeneity in the intensity of S. haematobium and hookworm infections was evident in the study area. To identify factors associated with the intensity of helminth infections, we utilized negative binomial generalized linear mixed models. The intensity of S. haematobium infection was associated with religion and socioeconomic status (SES), while that of hookworm infection was related to SES, sex, distance to river and history of anthelmintic treatment. Conclusions/Significance: Both S. haematobium and hookworm infections showed micro-geographical heterogeneities in this Kwale community. To confirm and explain our observation of high S. haematobium risk among Muslims, further extensive investigations are necessary. The observed small scale clustering of the S. haematobium and hookworm infections might imply less uniform strategies even at finer scale for efficient utilization of limited resources